Salem News Channel

Wildfires Force Evacuations At National Parks

Visitors and staff at two national parks in the U.S. West have been evacuted because of wildfires. Officials at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in Colorado say the park closed Thursday morning after lightning sparked blazes on both rims. Officials say conditions at the park have been ripe for wildfire with hot temperatures, low humidity, gusty winds and dry vegetation. The North Rim of the Grand Canyon in Arizona also closed Thursday because of a wildfire burning just outside the park boundaries. Fire officials say that blaze started Wednesday evening on Bureau of Land Management land.

Trump says Canada’s role In US fentanyl crisis justifies 35% tariffs on Canadian goods

President Trump announced in a letter on social media that Canadian goods will be subject to a 35% tariff rate starting Aug. 1.

Arkansas Prison Employees Fired After ‘Devil In The Ozarks’ Escape

Two employees at an Arkansas prison where an inmate known as the “Devil in the Ozarks” escaped have been fired for policy violations, corrections officials said Thursday as they faced questions from lawmakers who said the escape points to deeper problems. The head of the Arkansas Board of Corrections told state lawmakers the violations allowed Grant Hardin to escape from the Calico Rock prison wearing a makeshift law enforcement uniform on May 25. But officials have said there was no evidence employees knowingly assisted Hardin’s escape. One of the fired employees had allowed Hardin onto an outside kitchen dock unsupervised and the other employee worked in a tower and had opened the gate Hardin walked through without confirming his identity, Chairman Benny Magness said. “If either one of them would have been following policy, it wouldn’t have happened,” Magness told members of the Legislative Council’s charitable, penal, and correctional institutions subcommittee. Hardin was captured 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) northwest of the Calico Rock prison on June 6. Authorities said he escaped by donning an outfit designed to look like a law enforcement uniform. Magness said the outfit was crafted from an inmate uniform and kitchen apron dyed black using a marker while a soup can lid and a Bible cover were fashioned to look like a badge. Lawmakers said the escape pointed to systemic problems beyond the two employees — including how Hardin was able to fashion the fake uniform without guards noticing. “I think we’ve got major issues here that need to be dealt with,” said Republican Sen. Matt McKee, who co-chairs the subcommittee. Hardin, a former police chief in the small town of Gateway, near the Arkansas-Missouri border, is serving lengthy sentences for murder and rape. He was the subject of the TV documentary “Devil in the Ozarks.” After his capture, Hardin was transferred to a maximum security prison in Varner, a small community about 65 miles (125 kilometers) southeast of Little Rock. Hardin has pleaded not guilty to an escape charge and is set to go on trial in November. Hardin held a job in the kitchen in the prison and had not had any disciplinary problems during his time there. In addition to the uniform, Hardin fashioned a ladder out of wooden pallets that were on the dock and also took peanut butter sandwiches from the prison to survive on after his escape, corrections officials told lawmakers Thursday. Hardin planned to use the ladder to scale the fence and escape if the gate wasn’t opened for him, said Dexter Payne, director of the division of correction. “There are a lot of things he did unnoticed and unaware,” Republican Sen. Ben Gilmore said during the hearing. “I don’t think you can blame just two people for that.” Members of the panel also said Hardin’s escape points to the need to scrutinize a classification system that placed a convicted murderer in what’s primarily a medium-security facility. Payne said a critical incident review of the escape planned later this month may determine if other employees will face firings, demotions or disciplinary actions. It also will determine what other policy changes may be needed, he said. State Police is also investigating the escape to determine whether any laws, policies or procedures were violated in the escape. Col. Mike Hagar, the head of state police and secretary of public safety, said the final report on the investigation may be completed within 30 days. Thomas Hurst, warden of the prison —formally called the North Central Unit — said State Police was not notified immediately of the escape though local police were, blaming it on a miscommunication. “There’s nobody that’s more embarrassed about (the escape) than me,” Hurst said. “It’s not good. We failed, and I understand it.”

Protesters And Federal Agents Clash During Raid At CA Farm

A confrontation erupted Thursday between protesters and federal officials carrying out a raid on a Southern California farm, with authorities throwing canisters that sprayed what looked like smoke into the air to disperse the crowd. Vehicles from Border Patrol and U.S. Customs and Border Protection blocked the road in a largely agricultural area of Camarillo lined with fields and greenhouses. There were military-style vehicles and a helicopter flying overhead. Television images showed dozens of demonstrators gathered on a road between fields where uniformed officers stood in a line across from them. In other images, white and green smoke can be seen as protesters retreat. Other images showed protesters shouting at agents wearing camouflage gear, helmets and gas masks. It wasn’t clear why the authorities threw the canisters or if they released chemicals like tear gas. Another image from KTLA showed people sat against a wall with their hands bound in front of them; it wasn’t clear if they were workers or protesters. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said they were executing a warrant at a marijuana facility. Glass House Farms said on social media that it was visited Thursday by officials for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and “fully complied with agent search warrants.” It’s legal to grow and sell cannabis in California with proper licensing. State records show the company has multiple active licenses to cultivate cannabis. The company also has a permit to grow in Ventura County, and as of last year used half of the space for cannabis while half was dedicated to tomatoes and cucumbers, the Ventura County Star reported. Judith Ramos said she received a call Thursday morning from her father, who worked in the tomato fields. “He said immigration was outside his job, and if anything happened to take care of everything,” Ramos said, her voice cracking. The 22-year-old certified nurse assistant said she has two young siblings. Ramos went to the farm and saw a busload of people being taken out. She was protesting alongside others when agents sprayed the deterrent. “They didn’t want us to get any closer, and they started firing,” Ramos said. “I got some in my eyes. I had to put milk on my face.” Ramos said she does not know where her father is and had not had contact with him for more than an hour. His truck is still at the worksite, she said. It was not immediately known which agencies participated in the raid. The incident comes as federal immigration enforcement agents have ramped up arrests in Southern California, heading to car washes, farms and Home Depot parking lots to take people into custody while stoking widespread fear among immigrant communities. The Trump administration has had the National Guard providing protection to federal immigration agents carrying out the raids, and this week it sent a large caravan with guns and horses to a park in Los Angeles. Andrew Dowd, spokesperson for the Ventura County Fire Department, said they were dispatched around 12:15 p.m. Thursday to the area to provide emergency medical aid. Crews took three people to nearby hospitals, he said, and the incident is ongoing. Dowd said he had no information on the types of injuries or medical emergencies sustained, and he did not have any details of the people sent to hospitals. He said he had no information on what law enforcement was doing there.

Netanyahu Attends U.S. Service For Slain Israeli Embassy Staffers

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attended a memorial service Thursday for two slain Israeli Embassy staffers at the end of his trip to Washington, where he met with President Donald Trump about a ceasefire deal in Gaza and other issues. Yaron Lischinsky, 30, and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, 26, two colleagues who had been on the verge of getting engaged, were fatally shot May 22. Sara Netanyahu, the Israeli leader’s wife and a psychologist, signed a letter of condolence at the embassy, saying, “May their memory be blessed.” Family members of the two were among those attending the service, held at the Israeli embassy, the prime minister’s office said in a statement. A suspect was arrested in the shootings and shouted “Free Palestine” as he was led away. Charging documents said he later told police, “I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza.” Netanyahu plans to depart the U.S. on Thursday after meeting with Trump, lawmakers and others over Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza and other Middle East conflicts and issues. It was unclear if there was any breakthrough on a ceasefire deal after two meetings this week between Trump and Netanyahu, where they cheered their strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities last month. Netanyahu said in a video released Thursday that he is trying to wrap up the U.S.-backed 60-day deal but stresses it will be “temporary.” He says that during the truce, the sides would begin talks on ending the war altogether. But for there to be a permanent ceasefire, Hamas must agree to give up power and lay down its weapons — a demand it so far has rejected. “These are our basic conditions,” Netanyahu said. “If this can be achieved through negotiations — so much the better. If it is not achieved through negotiations in 60 days, we will achieve it in other ways — by using force, the force of our heroic army.” U.S. officials held out hope that restarting high-level negotiations — mediated by Egypt and Qatar and including White House envoy Steve Witkoff — would happen soon and could bring progress. “We’re closer than we’ve been in quite a while, and we’re hopeful, but we also recognize there’s still some challenges in the way,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters while attending the annual Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Senior Trump administration officials, including Witkoff, met with Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer as well as Qatari officials at the White House on Tuesday to discuss sticking points in the talks. This included Israel’s desire for its military to retain control over parts of Gaza during a potential 60-day truce, according to a White House official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity. Asked about the meeting this week, Trump did not confirm that “secret” talks had happened, but said if they did, he hoped the engagement “gets us to where we want to be.” “We want to have peace. We want to get the hostages back. And I think we’re close to doing it,” Trump added.

Nearly Two Million Americans Have Been Hired Since January

Jasmine Crockett Apparently Cried Over Alex Padilla Being Thrown Out

Who knew and when did they know it? “Original Sin” has the detailed answers

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All Workers Escape After Los Angeles Industrial Tunnel Partially Collapses

The Los Angeles Fire Department says 31 construction workers are safely out of an industrial tunnel that partially collapsed Wednesday evening. The workers were as much as 6 miles inside from from the only entrance and 400 feet underground. Some had to scramble over a tall mound of loose soil and debris to squeeze out. Rescuers helped pull some out, and they were shuttled to the entrance and hoisted out. Paramedics were evaluating 27 of the workers and officials say none had major injuries. The nearly $700 million project will carry treated wastewater 400 feet below ground from across Los Angeles County to the Pacific Ocean.

Mahmoud Khalil Seeking $20 Million In Damages From Trump Administration

Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, whose role in campus protests against Israel led to his detention for over three months in immigration jail, is now seeking $20 million in damages from the Trump administration. His lawyers filed a claim Thursday, alleging false imprisonment and malicious prosecution after his March arrest by federal agents. Khalil, a legal U.S. resident, said he suffered severe anguish in jail, and continues to fear for his safety. The government has accused him of leading protests aligned with Hamas, but has not provided any evidence of a link to the terror group.

Ryan Routh Wants To Represent Himself In Trump Assassination Attempt Case

A man charged with attempting to assassinate Donald Trump last year at his Florida golf course told a federal judge Thursday he wants to fire his court-appointed lawyers and represent himself. Ryan Routh made his request during a hearing before U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon. When the judge asked Routh, 59, whether he wanted her to appoint new attorneys to defend him, Routh replied: “No. I will represent myself.” Cannon then closed the courtroom to reporters and the public for about an hour to discuss matters potentially involving attorney-client privilege. The hearing was scheduled to continue Thursday afternoon. The U.S. Supreme Court has held that criminal defendants have a right to represent themselves in court proceedings, as long as they can show a judge they are competent to waive their right to be defended by an attorney. Prosecutors have said Routh methodically plotted to kill Trump for weeks before aiming a rifle through the shrubbery as Trump played golf on Sept. 15, 2024, at his West Palm Beach country club. A Secret Service agent spotted Routh before Trump came into view. Routh allegedly aimed his rifle at the agent, who opened fire, causing Routh to drop his weapon and flee without firing a shot. Law enforcement obtained help from a witness who prosecutors said informed officers that he saw a person fleeing. The witness was then flown in a police helicopter to a nearby interstate where Routh was arrested and the witnesses confirmed it was the person he had seen, prosecutors have said. Routh is charged with attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, assaulting a federal officer, being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. Routh also faces state charges of terrorism and attempted murder. He has pleaded not guilty.